Compound gasolene-engine.



L. O. BURTON. o

COMPOUND GASOLENE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU.l1, 1 908.

935,740. v Patented 0015.5,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

witnesses v BWCL L. C. BURTON. COMPOUND GASOLBNE ENGINE.-

APPLICATION FILED DEO.11,1908.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Witness ,UNITED SWATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE C. BURTON, 9F CULUIVIBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO JOHN SHRUM, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

COMPOUND GASOLENE-ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lawnsxon C. BURTON, a citizen .of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compound Gasolene-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to the improvement of compound gas or gasolene engines, and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved construction of engine of this class wherein improved valve mechanism is provided for directing the exhaust of prodnets of combustion'from the high pressure cylinders to the low pressure cylinder and exhausting the same therefrom; to provide improved means for imparting the initial or starting movement to the engine and to pro- .duce other improvements, the details of construction of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved engine, Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation and partial vertical section of my improved engine, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line o3-w of Fig, 1, Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line g -g of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the exhaust controlling valves, and, Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section on line a-a of Fig. 5.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the several views.

1 represents a horizontally disposed crank case, from which rise hollow walled cylinders 2, 3 and 4, the central cylinder 3 being of greater dimensions than the cylinders 2 and 4 and being hereafter referred to as the low pressure cylinder. Suitablyijournaled in the crank casing is the crank shaft 5 carrying on an end extension, thereof, on the outer side of said crank case, a fly wheel 6. With the two outer cranks 5 are connected the upwardly extending piston rods '6" of pistons 7 which are slidably fitted within the outer or high pressure cylinders 2 and 4. With the central crank 5 of the shaft 5 is connected 0 the lower end of a piston rod 8 of a iston9,

- which is adapted to lit and slide within the central low pressure cylinder 3.

In the head or upper end of each of the cylinders 2 and 4, I rovide a threaded opening which is adapted to receive a spark plug,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 11, 1908.

parts containeda vertically reciprocating exhaust Patented Get. 5, 1909. Serial No. 466,971.

such as is shown at 10, the ignition points of which project within the upper end of the cylinder. Between the adacent walls of the cylinder 2 and cylinder 3 and between the Walls of the cylinder 4 and the cylinder 3, I so provide vertical fixed valve casings 11. ()n the outer side of each of the cylinders 2 and 4, I provide vertical cylindrical valve casings 12. Each of the valve casings 12 has leading into one side thereof, an arm 13 of as cylinders 11, I provide a vertically movable valve body 15, one of which is shown in- Fig. 1 of the drawing, and each of said valve bodies has formed therethrough a port or passage 15 which when the valve is properly turned, as one of its ends brought into communication with the remaining end into communication with a port 16 in the upper portion of the adjoining cylinder wall 2 or 4.

Within each of the casings 11, I provide a vertically reciprocating valve 17 which is of piston'form and which is provided with a central horizontal passage 18 which extends diametrically therethrough. Each of said valves 17 is also provided with a passage 19, the entrance to which is in the upper portion of the valve above one end of the passage 18 and the outlet of whichis as indicated at 20 in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing, at a point on the periphery of the valve at the center of the height of the latter and at right angles with the point of entrance to said port or passage. A similar port or passage which is indicated at 21, leads into the lower portion of each of said valves 17 below the entrance to the central passage 18 and has its outlet at a point opposite the outlet 20, which point is indicated at, 22. In the upper portion of 5 each of the cylinders 2 and 4, I provide a port 23 which leads through the wall of the cylinder and has its outlet at a point in the rotary path of the upper entrance to the port or passage 19. The central port 18 of each of the valves 17 is adapted to communicate with a passage or port 24 which leads through the valve casing 11 to the upper portion of the low-pressure cylinder 3, one of the ports 24 being shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

' Between the forward portions of the cylinders 3 and 4, I provide a vertical cylindrical exhaust valve casing 25 in which is valve has running diagonally therethrough a passage 27 and at the centervof the height of the casing 25 is formed an outlet port 28 which is adapted to be brought into com-,

munication with said valve. passage-27 when the valve is moved to a certain position in its casing and when in this position, sald passage 27 is also in communication with a port i has acentral upward extension in 29 which leads through the wall of the low pressure cylinder 3. Each of the valves '17 the form of a stem 17, which stem leads through an opening in the top of the valve casing. The

upper end portions of these stems .are

squared and with each of said squared stem .ends is connected one end of a rearwardly.

extending arm 30, the outer ends of said i I arms being pivotally connected with a hori- 6 zontally disposed bar 31.

32 represent two pipes which lead respectively into the casings 11. of the valves 17,.

com-- these pipes running from a source of pressed air. I also provide each of the valve casings 11 in its lower portion with 'an exhaust outlet pipe 33.

J ournaled horizontally in the upper portion of the crank casing, 'is' asupplemental crank shaft 34 and with the cranks of this shaft, one of which is indicated at 35 in Fig. 3, are connected the lower ends of vert cal valve rods 36 of the valves 15 and similar valve rods 37 of the valves 17. In one end of the casing 1, the shaft 34 carries a gear wheel 38 which meshes with a pinion 39 carried on the crank shaft and shown in Fig. 2. Toward the opposite end of the case 1, the crank shaft 5 carries a gear wheel 40, the teeth of which mesh with wheel 41 which is journaled in a bracket arm 42' which projects from the side of thecase/ 1. a

43 represents a valve rod which connects the lower end of the exhaust valve 26 with rod 43 and the valve 26, is, as shown in Fig.

4 of the drawing, in the nature of a jointed connection and preferably consists inform ing the upper end of the rod 43 with a rounded termination which loosely engages a socket in the lower end of the valve. The lower end of the rod 43 is eccentrically connected with the wheel 41, being pivoted to a pin 44 which projects from said wheel.

In order to illustrate the operation of my improved engine, we will assume that the pistons 7 are, as shown, in the lower ends of their cylinders; that the'piston 9' is in the upper end of the intermediate or low pressure cylinder and that thevalves 17, 26 and 15 are in the positions indicated in the drawings. In order to impart the initial or starting movement to my improved engine, the bar 31 may be moved horizontally, thereby rotating the valves 17 until the upper ports those of a gear "22 of said passages 19 are in inders 11 being previously that both of the pistons upward, the air above. sai

'ment of the gear wheel [through the passages 19 are in communication with the comressed air inlet pipes 32 and the openings with the ports 24 of the lower pressure cylinder. The charge of compressed air thus admitted into the upper end of the larger cylinder 3, results in forcing the piston 9 thereof downward, which through the movement of the crank shaft, causes an upward. movement of the pistons 7. One of the cylprovided with a charge of mixed gas and air from the pipes 13 and through the ports 15 and 16 and a spark being generated between the ignition points of the spark plug, it is obvious that thecharge thus compressed in one of the cylinders 11 by the upward communication movement of the piston thereof, will be fired, with the result i 7 will be again driven downward and the iston 8 forced piston driven out through the exhaust port 29, thence through the passage 27 of the exhaust valve 26 and through the port 28 in the casing 25, the said exhaust valve having during the operation described and by the move- 41 been moved down-* ward until its passage 27 is in communication with the port 29 and outlet 28. In the first upward movements of the pistons 7, it will be understood that the air contained in the cylinders '11, will be forced outward 23 and 21 and outlet pipes 33;the lertical movement of the valves imparted by their rods being such as to bring said passages and ports into communication. The engine thus beingstarted, the bar 31 is moved horizontally to rotate the valves 17 to their normal positions and when in such positions, it will be understood that at each alternate upward movement of each of the pistons 7, the exhaust or burned gases will be forced through the passages 23 thence through the valve openings into the low pressure cylinder 3, the products of combustion thus discharged into said low pressure cylinder operating to force the piston' thereof downward. In the succeeding upward movement of thepiston 9 of the low pressure cylinder, it is obvious that the products of combustion contained in the cylinder will be forced outward through the port 29, valve passage 27 and casing outlet 28. Owing to the relative sizes and arran ement of the gears 38, 39, 40 and 41 and t e 18 and ports 24 i being connections heretofore described between the valve'26 and the wheel 41and between the valves 17 and 15 with the supplemental crank shaft 34, the vertically movable valves are brought into communication or moved out of communication with passages heretofore described at proper intervals. From this operation, that the necessity of employing a obviated, inasmuch as the products muffler is of comit will be seen the ports and cylinder where said bustion are'exhausted into-a low pressure products are utilized to contribute power to the engine. It is also obvious that such operation will result not only in attaining increased power from a given amount of fuel by the utilization of the exhaust products, but that a comparatively noiseless engine is produced.

What I claim, is:

In a compound gasolene engine, the combination with a pair of high pressure cylinders having ports for the entrance of a charge of gasolene and air, and means for automatically controlling said ports, of vertically movable incased valves between the high and low pressure cylinders, each of said valves having a central port therethrough, and ports leading from the upper and lowerportions of the valves to opposite sides of the center thereof, pipes leading from a source of compressed air through the casings of said valves, means with ports of the low pressure and high pressure cylinders.

In testimony whereof I 'aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE C. BURTON. WVitnesses: 4

A. L. PHELPS,

.C. C. SHEPHERD. 

